Ta-Nehisi Coates On Baltimore And Freddie Gray

by Mallory Ortberg · April 28, 2015

Rioting broke out on Monday in Baltimore—an angry response to the death of Freddie Gray, a death my native city seems powerless to explain. Gray did not die mysteriously in some back alley but in the custody of the city’s publicly appointed guardians of order. And yet the mayor of that city and the commissioner of that city’s police still have no idea what happened. I suspect this is not because the mayor and police commissioner are bad people, but because the state of Maryland prioritizes the protection of police officers charged with abuse over the citizens who fall under its purview.

The citizens who live in West Baltimore, where the rioting began, intuitively understand this. I grew up across the street from Mondawmin Mall, where today’s riots began. My mother was raised in the same housing project, Gilmor Homes, where Freddie Gray was killed. Everyone I knew who lived in that world regarded the police not with admiration and respect but with fear and caution. People write these feelings off as wholly irrational at their own peril, or their own leisure.

The rest is at the Atlantic.

Mallory is an Editor of The Toast.


37 Comments

  1. mmmkat +36

    i always look to coates first for a balanced as fuck take on any and everything. i’m sick over this situation. someone just tell me where to be. i’m in. BURN IT DOWN.

  2. v_d_budenmayer +60

    The national media is doing a terrible job covering this. I’m a former Balltimorean now living in Boston (shout out to my other Baltimore-to-Boston Toasties, I’ve seen you up in here!), and the Globe didn’t even really start covering this story until the rioting began yesterday; CNN is scarcely better, with fear-mongering and race-baiting headlines and “discussions.”

    I fail to see what is so “liberal” about seeking to understand the history and social conditions that lead to violence and rioting like this. I mean, I am a liberal, but I don’t think that my desire for information stems from liberalism– I always thought that was just part of being a good human being.

    The whole thing has my stomach in knots, glued to the TV and the computer although I keep yelling at both. Thank goodness for people like Coates who are calmly fighting the good fight.

    1. friendofdaja +24

      I’m also in Boston, where my grandparents have had CNN/NBC on a loop the last few days. So much agenda going on. I’m sick of hearing all protesters called “thugs” and the police cast as “peacekeepers.” Um, no, police violence is what started all this!
      So yes, I’m adding my thank-you, because well-balanced commentary is going to be in short supply over the next few weeks.

      1. thesarahgirl +3

        FYI, they are still misspelled in the permalink name, but not sure how fixable that is.

    2. rkfire +4

      <3 <3 <3 Much love, I’ve read the article about the black box site and god knows you all are dealing with the same (maybe worse?) BS.

      1. amanita +5

        Man who knows. It’s all pretty completely terrible all over the place, isn’t it? Did you see the reparations package out here though? I mean god knows it didn’t begin or end with Jon Burge and that fuck is sitting on a beach in Florida somewhere collecting a pension but the reparations package – I hope it pans out. Been reading all your comments & my heart is with you all.

        1. rkfire +2

          I haven’t seen about the reparations package but I need to. Thanks for bringing it up and thank you for the <3 and support.

  5. alicia +17

    Can someone recommend some WOC covering Ferguson, Baltimore, really anything on police brutality and popular uprisings? I will read anything TNC writes and have now got a number of great writers to follow, but they’re almost all men and I’d like to include some women’s voices in that mix. Thanks.

    1. floridagal1 +3

      for Ferguson, I read Deray McKesson’s twitter.
      Edit I just read the part about how you want to read more women. I don’t know any, but would also like to read what they write.

    4. rkfire +5

      Deray is working with hand in hand with Netta (https://twitter.com/nettaaaaaaaa). This is a really good point, and sadly as I think through who the main folks I’m following, I’m coming up a bit short on WOC especially Black women. @feministajones is a must. I’ve been trying to tweet and retweet everything Bmore related (@Hieuzon1st) and even though I also follow the larger conversations about police brutality, my range only goes so far. If it helps for context re me, I’ve lived in this city for over 10 years, as a kid and now as an adult.

  6. getoffmyareola +8

    During the Ferguson protests when they shut down the city schools, I remember some Toast commenters recommending a public library to donate money to. Does anybody know of a church or library in Baltimore that would be good to donate money to as they help the community during this time?

    1. mmejoy +11

      Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore is doing good work in the middle of this – all branches are open. You can find them on Twitter at @prattlibrary. Their website is prattlibrary.org and they have a donate button on the bottom of their homepage.

      2. Fluffernutter +3

        Thanks for these! Operation Help or Hush (first link) looks like they’re doing great work in Baltimore right now.

  8. Hieu

    I haven't seen about the reparations package but I need to. Thanks for bringing it up and thank you for the <3 and support.

  11. cinnatron +2

    Baltimorean in Baltimore here. I had to sage the house because my roomate and keep screaming at the tv and screaming in general. Some dude came over to the house yesterday and he got it in both ears (we were sitting on either side of him). There was no escaping us or our opinions. Now I hear that Al Sharpton is coming to town and I’m not sure how i feel about that.

    is anybody know where I can look online for any pizza is anybody know where I can look online for any peaceful protest happening in the city? Red Emmas had something last saturday but i was out of town. I want to support the effort but fell so our of touch.

    also I went to work downtown today and I saw a a rockstar energy drinks van and sitting in the middle of the police and national guard trucks. Weird. It’s a bit of a mix of a ghost town and people getting on with their day and lives. The whole city is not what those idiots are showing on t.v. I’m saying this as someone who works and drives through the blue light district. I hope that makes sense without sounding like the idiots on t.v. Except Democracy Now, they kick ass

  13. xnxx

    just wanted to give you a brief heads up and let you know a few of the pictures aren’t loading properly. I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue. I’ve tried it in two different browsers and both show the same results.